Wolf’s Lair

The Wolfsschanze (Wolf’s Lair) was Hitler’s most important military headquarter in the east. It used to be located in Eastern Prussia, which after the war became partly Polish.

The Wolfsschanze played a key role during operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s attack in 1941 on his former ally, Stalin. The 7 square meter headquarter is very well hidden in the woods. In the bunkers and barracks there was room for 2.000 people.

In July 1944 a failed assassination attempt by Claus von Stauffenberg on Hitler took place here. When the Soviets reached Eastern Prussia the Germans tried to blow up the gigantic bunkers, with very little success. After the war it took ten years to dig out all the 54.000 land mines in the area around the site.